St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1887-11-27

WHO are IdlnllIdI WIFI
his business habits are uncOmmuDica-
nve,and the still fewer personal friends
he has can hardly be said to know him
Intimately chums'' he has none, says
4 Chicago letter to the New York Jour
nal.
Nobody would ever dream of calling
him ''MarShall;" among the thousands
of clerks and OtheremplOyeS who thrOng
his two great commercial palaces-and
palaces they are-nobOdy was ever
known to have spoken of him as 1.-The
old man." To his associates in the bust
ness and social world he is always either
Marshall Field'' or Mr.. Field"
There is no familiarity in either of these
varied relations between him and others.
Yet the man who came to Chicago
thirty-twO years ago a poor clerk, and
whose firm now does a business approx
mating so. 100000 year, is not person.
ally repellant. There is nothing in
either his appearance, his manner, or
his habits that reminds one of the gla-
cial period: he simply does not invite
familiarity. He is not eXcluSlVe-aS a
successful business man he could not
be; he is not frigid, because there are
many acts which show his kindness of
heart; he does not inspire awe, for his
SubordinateS cling to him with loyalty
TO which the success of the great bust
ness is in no small measure due; he IS
not proud, like DOmbey, because his
habits, like his political views, are dem
ocratic; he is not selfish, at least not i'll
the egotiStical sense, for his many phil
anthrOpic and generous acts are of the
most transformations nature-yet. despite
all this, he is averSe to publicity in
degree which amounts almost TO shrink
ing.
In short, such knowledge of Marshall
Fields characteristics and habits as the
public may care to have can best be
gathered from what he is not or does not
than from any acts or sayings of his
own. Still he is not a negative charac
ter. He does not refuse either his cOun-
sci, his aid OF the influence of his indi
Viduality in any proper matter of public
concern. Wherever the names of Chi
cagO'S leading men appear in CONNER
cial, social, charitable enterprises, that
of Marshall Field is never lacking. and
there is always figure of generOusprO-
portions opposite his name on the sub
scriptiOn lists.
There is nothing about the Field resi-
dence on Prairie avenue which suggests
the desire of display. The man is in
his home what he Is in business and So
cial life-reticent, quiet and reserved
in demeanOr. ANY one of the mansions
i'll the faShinable vicinity where Mar
shall Field lives is more preten-
tiOus and elegant in interior appoint
mentS, as well as in exterior appear
ance, than that of the subject of this
sketch 1t is a brick structure with
stone facingS of ample but not extern
sive dimensions. The two brick stories
of reddiSh-brOwn are set upon SOuter-
rain of white sandstone, and surmOunted
by a manSard roof. There is porte
cOchere to the north, and small stretch
of lawn overlooked by an uIpretentiOus
conservatory to the south of it. a
broad walk of ScrupulOuSly clean flag
stones leads up to the front entrance,
which opens into narrow hall, in no
manner different front the cramped and
dark spaces which serve as ''hallS" in
the modern American residence. To the
left is a parlOr, connected by folding
doors with the dining room to the right
is the drawing room, and back of it the
family sitting room, in which book
case, containing perhaps 200 volumes, is
the most conspicuous piece of furniture.
The upper story contains the family
apartments.
Mr.. Field has a cOachman and helper
for his three horses, his remise consist
ing of a stylish brOugham and buggy.
There is no French cook, but at the late
dinner a sedate butler, as quiet and re-
served and as unobtruSiue as his master,